Crossword-Themed St. Pete Gala To Benefit Aphasia Nonprofit

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A Tampa Bay nonprofit that supports people living with aphasia is bringing its annual Word Play fundraiser to St. Petersburg on July 1.

The interactive crossword puzzle gala uses games and language to build awareness of the condition and raise funds for support services offered by the organization, Voices of Hope, executive director Debbie Yones told Patch.

The fundraiser, which starts at 6:30 p.m., takes place at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg Student Center, 2000 6th Ave. S.

This is the fourth year that Voices of Hope is hosting Word Play, and the first time it will be held in downtown St. Petersburg. The fundraiser was previously held in Clearwater for the past three years, but outgrew its original venue.

The gala began with an idea from journalist and board member David Warner to center a fundraiser on a crossword puzzle competition.

He connected the organization with Marie Haley, partner of the late crossword constructor Merl Reagle, Yones said. Haley then helped to link the nonprofit with puzzle creators who could make a custom crossword for the event.

The evening centers on table competitions, with each table working on the same puzzle and submitting a single master copy for judging, Yones said.

“The night is full of other word games,” she added, including a word search on every attendee’s placemat.

The event is designed to help people better understand aphasia, “an acquired language disorder” that affects speaking, understanding, reading and writing, Yones said.

Aphasia is most commonly caused by stroke, though other brain injuries and some degenerative diseases can also cause it.

While it affects language and communication, it doesn’t affect the intelligence of those with aphasia.

Still, it can be incredibly disruptive to a person’s life, Yones said. “If I dropped you into another country where you don't speak the language, and nobody speaks English, I've given you a language disruption, right?”

Now in its 14th year, Voices of Hope hosts communication groups that meet Monday through Thursday in St. Petersburg, Dunedin, Tampa and online, along with family education, support groups and outings.

All programming is free to attend, Yones said. “We never turn anybody away.”

Fundraising remains critical because awareness of aphasia is low and the organization wants to reach more people.

“The crossword hook really has proven helpful,” she said. “Plus, it’s a lot of fun, and people really get into it.”

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